Jennifer Curtis, violin
Recently described as a “multi genre loving maverick,” (San Diego Union Tribune) Jennifer’s solo recitals in Carnegie’s Weil Recital Hall have been described as “the gutsiest” (NY Times), her violin sound likened to “the first taste of your favorite ice cream” (anonymous).
She travels the globe to study manuscripts of George Enescu and premiere his unknown works at his houses in Romania, investigates the North African roots of the sarabande through folklore and political history, has trained under shaman and performed in 43 countries. After spending three years at Juilliard completing her masters and studying Robert Mann, Jennifer joined International Contemporary Ensemble in 2007 while on tour with the ensemble in Mexico.
Jennifer is a composer, a multi instrumentalist and an improviser and spent a month as composer/performer in residence with Nrityagram dance ensemble in India composing for their classical dance. Other residences as composer/performer have included Cornell University, Paperhand Puppet intervention, Verbier Festival de musique and coming up this fall at Antenna Cloud Farm. Jennifer went to Mills College for her B.A. in music performance, where she encountered and studied with visionaries like Pauline Oliveros, Wadada Leo Smith, Douglas Ewart, David Abel and several west African drumming masters.
Teaching violin at Duke is a small aspect of Jennifer’s musical life, in addition to guest appearances as a soloist and chamber Music around the globe with ensembles such as the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, The Knights (where she performed her own mini-concerto), ECCO, and the Mark Morris Dance Group.
Upcoming excitements include the release of a fully improvised disc with MacArthur genius grant recipient Tyshawn Sorey on percussion and piano on International Contemporary Ensemble’s Tundra label.
Jennifer plays on a 1777 Panormo and seeks out opportunities to play music as old as this instrument